Reps Reject MTN N330Bn Offer, Summon Communications Minister

House of Representatives Committee on Telecommunication yesterday rejected the recent offer by MTN to pay N330 billion out of the N1.04 trillion it was initially fined by the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, for violating SIM card registration. Chairman of the committee,

Hon. Saheed Fijabi told journalists in Abuja that it was laughable that even when the committee investigating the alleged offence had not concluded its investigation, MTN in collusion with some powerful forces, had come up with an offer. Fijabi hinted that they had summoned the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu and the Executive Vice Chairman/ Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, to appear on Monday and explain the reason for the recent development. He stated that for MTN to have arrived at the proposed amount without taking into consideration the number of lives that were lost as a result of its disobedience to the NCC directives suggested that some powerful influence were behind the action. The committee chairman explained that going by the NCC Act, instead of reducing the fine of N1.04 trillion, it was supposed to be increased looking at the enormity and consequences of the company’s negligence. He regretted that NCC had in a letter to the Attorney-General of the Federation AGF and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, on the proposal for settlement of issues regarding the imposed fine on MTN for violation of sim card registration directive, stated that the initial proposal by the telecom giant to pay N300 billion was a far cry and wondered what happened that warrant the change of mind.The letter dated March 1, 2016, stated: “The proposal to pay the sum of N300 billion as against the fine of N1.04 trillion (and subsequently reduced to N700 billion by the Federal Government of Nigeria, FGN) is not supported by any verifiable justification. “When considered vis-a-vis the quantum of fine, the present sum is a far cry and there is no verifiable basis for arriving at the new figure. “The Nigerian Communications Commission (Registration of Telephone Subscribers)Regulations, 2011 (Sim card regulations) pursuant to which the fine was imposed stipulates an objective calculation method per Regulations 19 and 20. “We are of the view that a discounted amount should be a percentage of the statutory stipulated amount and not a figure that cannot be justified in the terms of the objective standards established by the Regulations. That way, the impression being portrayed by MTN that the fine was arbitrary and not based on any objective standard will be laid to rest.” Sourse: National Pilot